Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-08-04
The Old Role PLAYED Out.


There are very few persons who can
assume a role intended to deceive and
carry it out successfully. Discrimination
requires peculiar makeup
which differs from the ordinary
in minute yet potent qualifications. 1t
requires the succeptibilities of the artist
10 perceive the ever changing conditions
and his capabilities for coloring. to adapt
the role to differences of time and circum.
stances. Some statesmen have been
successful in appearing in colored lights
while they remained in office.
They were. however, of a lneI
makeup than our President, who has been
disastrously unsuccessful in his role
pretending to be "better than his party
He is not so coarsely made though as moi
to perceive his failure. and also the I'M
fortunate results attending his attempt
Lofty professions. empty promises and
future aspirations tor everything except
second term have gone by the board.
Mr.. Cleveland has cast aside all preten-
lions of goodness and comes down to the
| level of the rest of his party,
in recognition of the Presidents new policy,
Higgins, German, and the rest included.
He has recognized the inability OF the
mugwumps to assist him in the coming
struggle and has cast them and the more
conservative elements of his own party
aside. His sole object now is to please
the "old tlmers," the Southern wing"
and the "boys," and his recent acts seem
TO indicate that he has shown them his
hand. The sudden reciprocal changes in
the attitude of these factions of the party,
in recognition the Presidents new policy,
are indicated by various signs. Among
these signs is the sudden conversion of
Senator Eustis of Louisiana, who was one
Of the Presidents bitterest and most out
spoken opponents. A friend of his was
appointed Supervising Architect of the
Treasury, and ever since then he has been
Congressman John S. Barbour of Virginia
is another recent convert, made in the
same way. The Mail and Express com
menting upon the Presidents change of
course says:
The latest indication Of Mr. Cleveland's
new policy is, perhaps, even more striking
than these inasmuch as it involves a whole
department of the government rvice. The
Inspectors of Steam Vessels who were in of
flee in 1885 were generally retained under
Secretary Manning. To certain democrats
who complained of this policy the Secretary
replied that the duties of these positions
were such as required pecial skill and fitness
and that the employees could not be turned out
kept for specific cause. This policy is now
changed. Whether the waiting democrats
have devoted their days and nights to learning
the business of boiler inspection we do not
know but, at any rate, the republican
inspectors in the Pittsburg district have been
turned out and democrats turned in. The
Tennessee Kentucky district is already revo-
lutionizad, and is manned entirely by demo
Gratis In our own district there are eleven
democrats and two repub-
licans. In the other districts the republicans
make up their minds to 90 now. Things are
to be run on "business principles" hereafter
in the treasury department-such principles,
that il to say, as i'll bring in the largest
democratic returns"
In view of this evidence it cannot but
be concluded that the old role has played
out. The President was not equal to the
task of condu ,tinu himself under n mask
which would require continual and con-
siderable twisting to give the proper APP
pearance to all factions of the party. He
recognized his ability and the danger
which threatened his continuing the dis
stimulation. and brushing the mask off. has
disclosed himself in his true light, to the
party in the hope of correcting the mistakes
of the past and of making certain his
chances in 1888. 1t is a question whether
he will appear to better advantage now or
not